Series & Grade

Promotion Potential

Supervisory Status

Who May Apply

Control Number

Job Announcement Number

Job Overview

Summary

Are you interested in a rewarding and challenging opportunity? Join the U.S. Department of Justice!

The Civil Rights Division (Division) of the Department of Justice, created by the enactment of the Civil Rights Act of 1957, works to uphold the civil and constitutional rights of all Americans, particularly some of the most vulnerable members of our society. The Division is primarily responsible for enforcing federal statutes and executive orders that prohibit, among other things, unlawful discrimination in education, employment, housing, police service, public accommodations and facilities, voting, and federally funded and conducted programs. The Division also has jurisdiction to enforce constitutional prohibitions on certain conduct by law enforcement agencies and public residential institutions, such as health care and correctional facilities.
The Federal Coordination and Compliance Section (FCS or Section) ensures that all federal agencies consistently and effectively enforce civil rights statutes and Executive Orders that prohibit discrimination in federally conducted and assisted programs and activities.

Duties

The Attorney Adviser will be responsible for conducting administrative investigations, technical assistance projects, policy and regulatory reviews, and addressing all other aspects of FCS' enforcement duties including advising or participating as co-counsel with other Division attorneys and U.S. Attorney's Offices in statements of interest, amicus briefs, or litigation. FCS attorneys are responsible for the administrative enforcement and oversight of other federal agencies that enforce Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, as amended; Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, as amended; and similarly-worded federal statutes that prohibit discrimination on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, and religion in federally assisted programs. In addition, Attorney Advisers will conduct outreach to public interest and non-governmental civil rights organizations, develop and draft technical assistance materials and guidance, and organize and conduct training programs for governmental and non-governmental stakeholders.

Travel Required

25% or Greater

Weekend travel may be required.

Relocation Authorized

No

Job Requirements

Key Requirements

You must be a U.S. Citizen or National.

You must complete a background investigation.

Selective Service registration is required, as applicable.

You must possess a J.D. or LL.M professional law degree.

You must be an active member of the bar in good standing.

Qualifications

Required Qualifications:
Applicants must possess a J.D. or LL.M professional law degree from an American Bar Association accredited law school, be an active member of the bar in good standing (any jurisdiction), and possess the minimum years of post-professional law degree experience commensurate to the grade level of eligibility, as shown below. Applicants must possess superior oral and written communication skills, exceptional analytical and negotiation skills, excellent academic and professional credentials, and outstanding professional references. Applicants must also demonstrate exceptional interpersonal, leadership, and organizational skills, solid professional judgment, a demonstrated commitment to public service and civil rights, and be able to excel in a fast-paced, highly demanding environment.

At least 1 year - GS-12 ($75,621 to $98,305 per annum)

At least 1.5 years - GS-13 ($89,924 to $116,901 per annum)

At least 2.5 years - GS-14 ($106,263 to $138,136 per annum)

At least 4 years - GS-15 ($124,995 to $157,100 per annum)

Preferred Qualifications:

Expertise in Title VI law or related laws prohibiting discrimination in federally-assisted programs is strongly preferred. Such experience may include (1) experience investigating allegations of discrimination in federally assisted or conducted programs, including interviewing witnesses, reviewing documents and applicable case law to assess the merits of a case; or (2) experience in drafting regulations, rules, manuals, or policy documents concerning prohibitions against discrimination in federally-assisted programs. In addition, while not required, consideration may be given to candidates with relevant additional civil rights experience outside the core competencies of the Section, but within the critical responsibilities of the Division, such that the candidate could play a supporting role in ongoing or potential Division initiatives in these areas.

Suitability and Citizenship

It is the policy of the Department to achieve a drug-free workplace and persons selected for employment will be required to pass a drug test, which screens for illegal drug use prior to final appointment.

Employment is also contingent upon the completion and satisfactory adjudication of a background investigation.

Only U.S. citizens are eligible for employment with the Executive Office for Immigration Review and the United States Attorneys' Offices. Unless otherwise indicated in a particular job advertisement, non-U.S. Citizens may apply for employment with other organizations, but should be advised that appointments of non-U.S. Citizens are extremely rare; such appointments would be possible only if necessary to accomplish the Department's mission and would be subject to strict security requirements. Applicants who hold dual citizenship in the U.S. and another country will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

Security Clearance

Public Trust - Background Investigation

Additional Information

What To Expect Next

Once the online questionnaire is received you will receive an acknowledgement email that your submission was successful. After a review of your complete application is made you will be notified of your rating and/or referral to the hiring official. If further evaluation or interviews are required you will be contacted.
We will notify you of the outcome after each step of the recruitment process has been completed. After making a tentative job offer, we will conduct a suitability/security background investigation. We expect to make a final job offer within 120 days after the closing date of the announcement.
Instructions for answering the questions in the Occupational Questionnaire: If you are applying to this announcement by completing the OPM 1203-FX form instead of using the Online Application method, please use the following step-by-step instructions as a guide to filling out the required questionnaire. You will need to print the vacancy announcement and refer to it as you answer the questions. You may omit any optional information; however, you must provide responses to all required questions. Be sure to double check your application before submission.

BENEFITS

The Department of Justice offers a comprehensive benefits package that includes, in part, paid vacation; sick leave; holidays; telework; life insurance; health benefits; and participation in the Federal Employees Retirement System. This link provides an overview of the benefits currently offered to Federal employees.

Other Information

The U.S. Department of Justice is an Equal Opportunity/Reasonable Accommodation Employer. Except where otherwise provided by law, there will be no discrimination because of color, race, religion, national origin, political affiliation, marital status, disability (physical or mental), age, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, genetic information, status as a parent, membership or non-membership in an employee organization, on the basis of personal favoritism, or any other non-merit factor. The Department of Justice welcomes and encourages applications from persons with physical and mental disabilities. The Department is firmly committed to satisfying its affirmative obligations under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, to ensure that persons with disabilities have every opportunity to be hired and advanced on the basis of merit within the Department of Justice.
The Department encourages qualified applicants with disabilities, including individuals with targeted/severe disabilities to apply in response to posted vacancy announcements. Applicants with targeted/severe disabilities include those applicants who are deaf or blind, have missing extremities, partial or complete paralysis, epilepsy, severe intellectual disability, or psychiatric disability, and little people/applicants with dwarfism. Qualified applicants with targeted/severe disabilities may be eligible for direct hire, non-competitive appointment under Schedule A (5 C.F.R. § 213.3102(u)) hiring authority. Individuals with targeted/severe disabilities are encouraged to register for the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) Shared List of People with Disabilities (the Bender Disability Employment Registry) by submitting their resume to resume@benderconsult.com and referencing "Federal Career Opportunities" in the subject line. Additional information about the Bender Registry is available at benderconsult.com. Individuals with targeted/severe disabilities are also encouraged to submit their resumes to the Division by emailing them to CRT.Specprogvacancies@usdoj.gov. Applicants with questions about this process may contact the Division's Disability Point of Contact (DPOC) at (202) 514-3934.

The Department of Justice cannot control further dissemination and/or posting of information contained in this vacancy announcement. Such posting and/or dissemination are not an endorsement by the Department of the organization or group disseminating and/or posting the information.

How to Apply

To apply for this position, you must provide a complete Application Package, which includes:

Your résumé

A complete Occupational Questionnaire

Additional Required Documents (see Required Documents section below)

The complete Application Package must be submitted by 11:59 p.m. (Eastern Time Zone) on Tuesday, May 20, 2014.
To begin the process, click the Apply Online button to create an account or log in to your existing USAJOBS account. Follow the prompts to complete the occupational questionnaire. Please ensure you click the Submit My Answers button at the end of the process.
Note: To check the status of your application or return to a previous or incomplete application, log into your USAJOBS account, select Application Status, and click on the more information link under the application status for this position.

To fax supporting documents you are unable to upload, complete this cover page using the following Vacancy ID 1104208.

Print this 1203FX form to provide your response to the occupational questionnaire, and

Fax the completed 1203FX form along with any supporting documents to 1-478-757-3144. Your 1203FX will serve as a cover page for your fax transmission.

OTHER INFORMATION:
If an applicant does not submit the requested application materials, the Civil Rights Division will evaluate the applicant solely on the information available, which may result in the applicant not receiving full consideration or not being considered eligible.
The application materials will not be returned.
There is no formal rating system for applying veterans' preference to attorney appointments in the excepted service; however, the Department of Justice considers veterans' preference eligibility as a positive factor in attorney hiring. Applicants eligible for veterans' preference must include that information in their cover letter or resume and attach supporting documentation (e.g., the DD 214, Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty and other supporting documentation) to their submissions. Although the "point" system is not used, per se, applicants eligible to claim 10-point preference must submit Standard Form (SF) 15, Application for 10-Point Veteran Preference, and submit the supporting documentation required for the specific type of preference claimed (visit the OPM website, https://www.opm.gov/forms/pdf_fill/SF15.pdf, for a copy of SF 15, which lists the types of 10-point preferences and the required supporting document(s). Applicants should note that SF 15 requires supporting documentation associated with service-connected disabilities or receipt of nonservice-connected disability pensions. Applicants should note that SF 15 requires supporting documentation associated with service- connected disabilities or receipt of nonservice-connected disability pensions to be dated 1991 or later except in the case of service members submitting official statements or retirement orders from a branch of the Armed Forces showing that his or her retirement was due to a permanent service-connected disability or that he/she was transferred to the permanent disability retired list (the statement or retirement orders must indicate that the disability is 10% or more).

Reasonable Accommodations: This agency provides reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities where appropriate. If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process, please notify the agency. Determinations on requests for reasonable accommodation will be made on a case-by-case basis.

How You Will Be Evaluated

Applicants will be evaluated relative to the qualifications set forth above and other job-related skills, experience and qualifications set forth in their application materials and consistent with merit system principles applicable to hiring for career positions with the Department of Justice.

Required Documents

Résumé

Cover Letter

Writing sample of no more than ten pages (a brief or comparable analytic legal exposition that is your work product)

Veterans' Preference Documentation, if applicable

Submitting Documents
If you upload your documents using Application Manager, DO NOT FAX the same documents. To verify uploaded documents have been processed, please wait one hour to ensure they have cleared the virus scan. You can verify that your uploaded documents are attached to your application by checking the Details tab of your Application Manager account for this vacancy announcement. Your documents will display under the Details tab in the Document area.
Faxed documents will take 2-3 business days to process. To fax documents, you MUST use the special cover page. Print the pre-populated cover page on the upload documents screen of Application Manager. Or, you may click this link to print a copy of the cover page. When faxing documents, follow the procedures outlined below.

Include the 8-character Vacancy Identification Number 1104208.

Provide your Social Security Number and full name in the spaces provided or we will not be able to associate your document(s) with the rest of your application.

You may submit multiple documents for the same vacancy announcement using one cover page.

Fax your cover page and documents to 1-478-757-3144.

Faxed documents submitted with missing information will not be processed. The following will prevent your documents from being processed:

Not using the special cover page mentioned above

Missing, incomplete, or invalid Vacancy Identification Number

Missing or incomplete Social Security Number or name

Note: If you have documents in your Application Manager account from a previous vacancy announcement they can be opened, copied and saved then reused as an upload file for this vacancy. Uploading your documents will speed the processing of your application for this announcement.
Your résumé, curriculum vitae, or any other written format you choose to describe your job-related qualifications can be submitted electronically using the document upload process or fax. Please be sure to include all of the following information in your
résumé:

Job Information:

Vacancy Identification Number, title, grade and location for which you are applying.